Durbridge aims high

Rupert Guinness

WHEN Luke Durbridge lines up for his first senior Australian road time trial championship today, blocked from his mind will be any inkling of trepidation that for him to win a medal - let alone win the title - he will have to beat four world-class specialists in the 38.2-kilometre race against the clock.

Today is the last day of the national titles and the reigning under-23 world and national time trial champion, and member of the world champion team pursuit squad, says he is out to win.

In Durbridge's way are former triple world champion Michael Rogers, of the ACT, two-time and defending champion Cameron Meyer (Western Australia), Jack Bobridge (Victoria), who was fifth at the world titles last year, and Richie Porte (Tasmania), who was fourth and sixth at the world championships in 2010 and last year respectively.

But as Durbridge, from Western Australia, said yesterday: ''I really, really want to win. I am going in with the attitude that we are all even … Obviously these guys are great. They have achieved fantastic results in time trials, but you can't really do anything about it … I really want to win.''

In the women's time trial, Shara Gillow will start as favourite as the defending champion. She rode strongly throughout last week's Bay Cycling Classic, and finished Saturday's national road race with plenty in reserve.

Also likely to challenge is South Australian Alexis Rhodes, who won Friday's national criterium title, and Jessica Allen (WA), the world junior time trial champion last year, who is in her first season as a senior rider.